Elizabeth Garrard

The fence is in! Next: Front Door!

We have an install date for the fence! October 21! Hazzah!

The permit was just approved! I am submitting the second portion of the payment today. I am still about $1000 away from being able to afford the full cost of the fence, so if everybody can help me out by sharing the link one more time, that would be amazing!

The engineering plans were submitted to the permit office today.

Thanks to everyone who has donated, I was able to have three large oak trees that were obstructing the fence line removed, and pay the deposit on the fence! Plans will be submitted to the city for permit processing on Monday! I still owe the fence company several thousand dollars, so please keep sharing my GoFundMe link! I am having a karaoke birthday bash on Monday & we will be passing the hat!

I approved the quote for the fence today! Hopefully we don't run into any issues with permits. Both front gates will be white PVC, 6-ft. The back will be white aluminum with finials along the top to deter cimbing.

My name is Elizabeth – I’m an active member of the South Florida Theatre Community, a high school fine arts teacher and single mother. I am starting this fundraiser for my 8-year-old son, Anthony Mazzarella, who has autism and ADHD. Those of you who know me know I don’t ask for help for myself… Our family is facing a frightening and urgent situation after he recently eloped (escaped from the back yard). Child Protective Services got involved and told me I was failing as a parent. They threatened to remove Anthony from my custody unless I find a way to always keep him “safe at home.” I am heartbroken and terrified – Anthony is the most important part of my life and I spend every minute of every day keeping him safe, cared for and loved… But that’s not enough. Even though his safety is already my biggest priority every single day, this experience made it painfully clear that we need stronger protections in place at home immediately. I cannot do more by myself. The funds from this fundraiser will: Build new fences in the back yard to prevent Anthony from getting into the street or the canal behind our backyard (and unfortunately remove the trees that currently prevent this): $7,000 Upgrade our outside security cameras (and pay for the required subscription): $1,000 Replace the existing front door and frame with a sturdier, high-security model: $4,000 Upgrade our current smart home system to integrate new hardware: $3,000 Continue to train Anthony’s Australian shepherd as a service dog: $6,000 Support Anthony’s own social development therapies: $4,000 Believe me, I know this sounds like a lot! Child Protective Services have made it very clear these changes are not optional for us. I am asking for your help so I can immediately make these urgent safety improvements, and create a space that helps Anthony regulate at home and at school. And, most of all, to keep my son where he belongs, at home with me. Any additional funds above and beyond these needs I will donate to Anthony’s autism cluster at Embassy Creek Elementary, specifically to create a sensory room (so he and his classmates with autism have a safe place to go when overstimulated and more likely to behave in a problematic manner). Any donation, no matter the size, would mean so much to our family during this incredibly difficult time. I know times are tough – and if you can’t afford to contribute to Anthony’s security, why not share this fundraiser on social media? (That’s one way you can help without touching your wallet.) FAQs: Who is Elizabeth Garrard? Hi, I’m an actor , a high school fine arts teacher (2017 fine arts educator of the year nominee ) at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, board member of the Theatre League of South Florida and marathon-running Riverwalk Chili Cook-Off contestant. (The firefighters cheat.) Since his father Michael Mazzarella passed away in 2021, I’ve been raising Anthony by myself. I thought I was doing a great job until recently… Those of you who know me, thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this far. Those of you who don’t, hello! I look forward to meeting you. Who is Anthony? Anthony is an elevator-riding, escalator-obsessed, piano-playing, fence-climbing, four-minute-mile-running vortex of enthusiasm and joy. He loves slime, swimming in the swimming pool, jumping on the beds at IKEA, apples, popcorn and his puppy. He happens to have autism. His primary claim to fame? Last year, Spotify informed me he was the entire world’s #8 biggest fan of the Fraggle Rock soundtrack. Anthony was diagnosed with Level 3 autism spectrum disorder in 2020. Every day since then, early intervention and daily therapies have moved his diagnosis to Level 1. I cannot wait to see the young man he will be when he grows up. Right now, though, he’s going through a phase that involves testing his boundaries. When he was younger and smaller and couldn’t run as fast, I was able to catch him when he eloped. More recently, he’s managed to get away from me on several occasions. If you meet him, you’ll know he’s a special little boy who wants tickles and an apple. Did Child Protective Services really say you aren’t a good mom? Yes. I’d love to say more about this but my legal counsel has advised me to leave out any specifics for now. Woah, how do you manage to do all those things while raising a special needs child by yourself? Buddy, I don’t have a freakin’ clue. If I had one of those time-turner things like Hermione had in Harry Potter book 3, I still don’t think I could do it all. Why isn’t your family/friends/rich uncle Max paying for all this stuff? You didn’t hear? They were all on that yacht that got sunk by a pack of angry orcas. The insurance company said it was their fault, and that orcas are an Act of God – things haven’t been the same since… I still can’t eat sushi. What about insurance? Anthony has military dependent’s insurance through his father. It’s worth exactly what I pay for it. Oh, and if YOU are also struggling with TriCare consider joining this lawsuit. If I give you extra money will you go get a manicure? No. I will spend it all on hats. What happened to Anthony’s dad? Was he on the yacht too? Anthony’s father Michael was a disabled military veteran. He took care of Anthony every day for the first three years of his life. Despite a broken back and several other debilitating conditions, Michael and Tony were inseparable, like a Batman-and-Robin duo prowling Cooper City’s seedier side and fighting crime, day and night. But then the superheroes met their kryptonite: Christmas lights. Trust me, it’s a sad story . If CPS says you’re an unsuitable parent, are you going to take all this money and spend it on drugs? Well, not all of it. Hey you remind me of this nice pretty lady I met at the gas station a couple of weeks ago. Why aren’t you returning my calls? …dad? Hey, that was pretty funny! Thanks. Laughing through the tears is the only way I can keep it together some days. The situation Anthony and I are in right now, well, it's not funny. And that's why I need your help.